Vibrator mount



C. G. MATSON VIBRATOR MOUNT Nov. 26, 1968 Filed June 9, 1967 FIG. I

FIG.

FIG. 2

R m N No ES V T NA [M G C FIG. 4

United States Patent 3,412,966 VIBRATOR MOUNT Carl G. Matson, 401 E.Central Blvd., Kewanee, Ill. 61443 Filed June 9, 1967, Ser. No. 644,9406 Claims. (Cl. 248228) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vibrator mount forrigid, preferably permanent attachment to an object to be vibrated inconnection with the unloading, settling, flowing, etc. of fluent,particulate etc. material, the mount being of substantial size ascompared with the area of the container etc. wall to which it isattached and having one or more pairs of divergent clamp surfaces towhich various types of vibrators or vibrator clamps may be attached.

Background of the invention The use of vibrators for the handling etc.of materials of the type and in the environments set forth above is ofcourse old and well known. The problems in the general field are many,largely because of duty requirements, substantial forces involved etc.,all of which lead to complications in attaching the vibrators to theobject to be vibrated. The conventional railway hopper car is typical ofan area in which these problems have become acute and in the past manysystems of attachment have been devised and used, characterized mainlyin using structural parts of the car as mounting ribs etc. for attachingthe vibrators. It has been found that these parts lack strength,especially in heavy-duty operations and one attempt to solve the problemhas relied upon the temporary welding of additional ribs etc. to thecar. Each installation presents a special case and it becomes diflicultto match vibrators and/0r vibrator clamps with the various types ofmountings. Further, the temporary weldments are often of such nature asto interfere with normal operation of the cars, especially in transit,because they present obstacles to free movement of the cars throughnarrow areas.

Brief summary of the invention The present invention provides animproved vibrator mount and features an attaching element in the form ofan elongated bar-like rib element of V or Y section, having a centralinner edge portion adapted to be welded to an object to be vibrated, apair of symmetrically outwardly divergent longitudinal side surfacesadapted to receive comparably convergent legs or arms on a clamp meansof generally C-shaped section, and a longitudinal outer central portionmidway between the side surfaces adapted to be engaged by one or morescrew means, the clamp means and screw means preferably being parts of atypical rotary eccentric vibrator whose axis of rotation isperpendicular to the median plane that bisects the angle between thedivergent side surfaces.

Description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is an elevation of a vibratorutilizing the improved attachment element for mounting on an object tobe vibrated;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the same;

FIGURE 3 is a reduced-scale perspective illustrating one environmentaluse of the invention; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary end view of a modified form of mountingelement.

3,412,966 Patented Nov. 26, 1968 Description of the preferredembodiments The numeral 10 designates a typical eccentric rotaryvibrator of the type shown, for example, in the U.S. patent to PetersonNo. 3,134,272, wherein an eccentric, as is known to those versed in theart, rotates about an axis A-A perpendicular to a median plane BBmedially through the vibrator, This vibrator is here mounted by novelmeans 12, to be described in detail later, to an object to be vibrated,typically a hopper 14 as shown in FIG. 3, or to any equivalent meanssuch as a chute, container, etc. The hopper may be an individual devicefor handling material or may be a discharging part of a con-' ventionalrailway car, in any event having a member such as a wall 16 to which themeans 12 may be rigidly and permanently aflixed, as by welding at 18.

The means 12 is an elongated rigid metallic element of rib or bar-likeconstruction having a longitudinal central inner edge or portion 20 fromwhich a pair of integral side surfaces 22 of longitudinal extent divergesymmetrically and uniformly, preferably at angles of 45 to the medianplane BB so that the included angle between two side surfaces isAdditionally, the element 12 has \a central outer edge or portion 24parallel to the inner portion 20 and thus uniformly outwardly spacedfrom said portion. Essentially the element has somewhat of a Y-shapedsection, the inner edge or portion 20 being centered on the median planeBB and the side surfaces 22-22 being likewise divergently centered onthis plane. As will be seen, the portion 20 is somewhat inwardlyextended as a wing or flange from its junction with the side surfaces 22so as to provide ample space for the weld beads at 18. The element 12may be easily formed by any conventional rolling process or the like andtherefore is quite inexpensive to produce in large quantities. Asexemplified in FIG. 3, such elements may be welded to a hopper, forexample, in lieu of the conventional reenforcement bars usuallyemployed. Actually, the elements 12 may be so cheaply made and sold asto readily warrant the stripping from the structure to be vibrated ofthe original elements and the replacement thereof with the elements 12.If desired, the old bracing members may be left in place and theelements 12 can be added.

Since the element or elements 12 may be so inexpensively manufacturedand sold, the vibrator itself may be better designed, even though theimproved design results in a somewhat higher cost, because thecombination provides an improvement in the overall picture, bearing inmind that the vibrator must be frequently relocated and improvements inthe means whereby this may be facilitated are of significant stature.Thus the-re may be formed, preferably integrally with the vibratorhousing, clamp means 26 comprising an under medial portion 28 and a pairof integral symmetrically inwardly convergent side parts 30, giving theclamp means a substantially C-shaped or dovetail section conforming tothe element 12 and enabling the vibrator to be endwise or longitudinallyslidably received by and removed from the element because of thecooperative dovetail rela tionship thus established.

When the vibrator is mounted on the element 12 by means of the C-shapedmeans 26, the medial part 28 of the means 26 overlies the outer portion24 of the element 12 and the side parts 30 respectively match and engagethe divergent side surfaces 22 of the element. The clamp means 26 isaugmented by the provision of screw means, here including a pair ofscrews 32 threaded through the clamp means on parallel axes included inthe median plane BB, the screws engaging and being tightened against theelement outer portion 24. The combination of the divergent surfaces22-30here 45 to the median plane B-B and the medially located screws 32provides a clamping action effective in all directions as respects theforces developed by the rotating eccentric of the vibrator 10, since thedivergent surfaces restrain the vibrator against upward or outwardmovement from the element 12 and the screws restrain against both inwardand longitudinal movement of the vibrator relative to the rib, it beingclear that both frictional and positive effects are achieved. Statedotherwise, the slop'mg side surfaces provide a double 90 attachment andthe set screws add 90 in both vertical directions, giving a 360 lock-upagainst relative movement in all directions.

'In the modified form shown in FIG. 4, the element 12 has a true Ysection, the vertical leg 20" providing the inner portion and the armsproviding side surfaces 22', in addition to which the crotch of the Ybetween these arms provides a longitudinal recess or groove 24'- hereV-shaped-fr receiving the screws 32, which may here have a taperedterminal end 32" to improve their relationship with the groove 0r recess24. Again, the element 12 is welded at 18 to the wall or member 16, itbeing understood that the clamp means 26 as previously described may beemployed.

I claim:

1. In combination, a vibrator and means for mounting same on a membersuch as a wall or the like of an object to be vibrated, said mountingmeans comprising an elongated rigid metallic bar-like element having alongitudinal central inner portion adapted to lie along and be rigidlyafiixed to the member, a pair of longitudinal side surfaces diverginguniformly and sym metrically outwardly from said inner portion and alongitudinal central outer portion lying between said side surfaces andspaced uniformly outwardly from said inner portion, and said vibratorhaving rigid thereon clamp means of substantially C-shaped sectionlongi- Cir tudinally slidably receivable by said element and including amedial part adapted to overlie said central outer part of the elementand a pair of symmetrically inwardly convergent side parts respectivelyembracing and engaging said side surfaces, and screw means threadedthrough said medial part and into engagement with said outer portion ofthe element.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the included anglebetween said side surfaces and between said clamp means side parts is onthe order of 3. The invention defined in claim 1, in which the outerportion of said element is provided with a longitudinal recess toreceive the screw means.

4. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the inner portion of theelement is in the form of a longitudinal rib projecting medially awayfrom the divergent side parts to facilitate Welding of the element tothe member.

5. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the element outer portionis provided with a longitudinal V-shaped proove for receiving the screwmeans.

6. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the element is Y-shapedin cross-section wherein the terminal part of the leg of the Y providessaid inner portion, the exterior faces of the arms of the Y respectivelyprovide the side surfaces and the crotch of the Y provides alongitudinal groove for receiving the screw means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,204,955 11/1916 Day 52-7322,437,344 3/1948 Behlmann 248228 XR 3,333,799 8/1967 Peterson 24814 JOHNPETO, Primary Examiner.

